Find Spot record MDO2518 - Prehistoric worked flints, Stinsford

Worked flints collected from material dredged from the River Frome in 1970 and from topsoil removed from the route of a gas pipeline in 1971 were identified as Mesolithic and Beaker.

A number of flint artefacts were found in 1970 in dredged material after operations along a length of the River Frome between SY 68949128 and 69639117, and also at SY 69219107. The finds, Mesolithic and Beaker material now in Dorset County Museum along with that from SY 69 SE 165, includes two micro scrapers, seven cores including two micro cores, hammerstone, etc. The Beaker material was mainly indistinctive waste.<1>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1973, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1972, 87 (Serial). SDO72.

‘SOME SURFACE FINDS IN SOUTH DORSET. The following notes record the results of surface observation by the writer since 1970. In addition to those whose special help is acknowledged in the text, thanks are also given to Messrs. J. Beavis, R. A. H. Farrar, and R. N. R. Peers. Unless otherwise stated, the finds remain at present with the writer.
(a) Mesolithic and Beaker flints from Charminster and Stinsford near Dorchester.
As a result of operations by the Avon and Dorset River Authority during the early part of 1970, flint artefacts were found in dredged material along a length of the River Frome from the road bridge to Burton (SY 68909128) eastwards to the foot-bridge (69179132) and thence east again to a point south of farm buildings at Coker’s Frome (69649118); also in dredged material adjacent to the footpath running south from the foot-bridge already mentioned.
Later in the year further artefacts were found in arable fields immediately north and west of the Coker’s Frome farm buildings and thereafter in arable land to the north of the lane, as far as 69929196).
During the summer of 1971 the Southern Gas Board laid a pipe-line for natural gas from the cottages at Coker’s From (69489147) northwards to near Hill Barn (69209383) where it joined the existing east-west main. The trench for the pipe was excavated to a depth of about 4 ft. along its whole length. Under the plough-soil was revealed brown clay interspersed with pockets of natural gravel. Traces of chalk were extremely scanty until as far north as about 69289365 where it appeared initially for the whole depth of the trench. No traces of human activity appeared in clay, gravel or chalk, but artefacts were visible in the plough-soil which had been removed along the whole length of the trench.
The finds, which were handed over to the County Museum, were identified by Mrs. S. Palmer as a mixture of Mesolithic and Beaker flints. The Mesolithic artefacts were largely located in the river area between 68949128 and 69639117 and also at 69129107 mixed with Beaker material. She states that the Mesolithic material includes 2 micro-scrapers, 7 cores including 2 micro-cores, 1 hammerstone, 2 core trimming flakes, 12 retouched flakes, and 2 carinated scrapers on chunky flakes, and that the Beaker material consists mostly of indistinctive waste.’

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 453562 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 8 2023 1:14PM